Examination of the relationship between pain intensity, pain catastrophizing, metacognitions, depression and anxiety symptoms in fibromyalgia patients and comparison with low back pain patients

There are very few studies in the literature that compare pain characterized by psychological components and physiologically based pain within the framework of psychological concepts. The aim of this study is to investigate and compare the pain severity, depression, anxiety, pain catastrophizing and metacognition scales in Fibromyalgia Syndrome patients (FMS), Chronic Low Back Pain patients (CLBP) and Healthy Control Group (HCG). The sample of the study consists of a total of 123 people, aged between 18-65, with 56 FMS, 30 CLBP and 37 HCG. In addition to the Socio-Demographic Form, Beck Depression Inventory, Beck Anxiety Scale, Metacognition Scale-30, Pain Catastrophizing Scale, Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire and Visual Analogue Scale were applied to the cases. The statistics of the research were evaluated using SPSS version 22. The normality of distribution was evaluated, and the groups were compared in terms of categorical variables using the chi-square method and the Kruskar Wallis test in terms of continuous variables such as age, income and scale scores. Post-hoc tests were applied to the variables that showed significant differences, and finally, multiple linear regressions were applied to control the variables that were significantly related to pain severity with confounding variables and with each other. As a result of the research, a significant relationship was found between pain intensity and pain catastrophizing for each group only in the FMS group. This finding indicates that pain severity in FMS patients is more affected by pain catastrophizing than others. On the other hand, while there was a significant difference between FMS and HCG on the basis of dysfunctional metacognitions, there was no significant difference in the CLBP group. As a result of the regression analyzes performed, when the FMS and CLBP groups were examined together, it was found that the severity of pain and the PCS "Helplessness" subscale scores were independently related, there was no significant correlation in the FMS group as a result of the regressions, and the MCQ-30 "negative metacognitive beliefs" subscale scores in the CLBP group were. found to be independently associated with pain severity.